CONROE, Texas – St. Edward's softball carried over its momentum from yesterday's second-game victory with a sweep of today's doubleheader, upsetting No. 13-ranked Augustana 7-5, then defeating Cal Poly Humboldt 5-1.
"We had two great wins today," St. Edward's head softball coach Leah Glasgow says. "It was fun to see our offense wake up."
St. Edward's 7, Augustana 5
MEGAN MORRIS picked up where she left off the previous day, following a walk-off single in St. Edward's win over Pittsburg State with a 3-for-3 performance at the place, driving in two RBIs and scoring a run.
Augustana took an early 4-1 lead, taking advantage of three walks, a hit batter, and producing three hits off St. Edward's starting pitcher CADIE BELLE CURRIE in the top of the second.
St. Edward's responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning. The first three Hilltopper batters reached safely to open the bottom of the second. ELLA HUTZLER led off with a single through the left side, and YVONNE CASTILLO and LEAH HERRERA walked to load the bases.
LAUREN HOYT drove in Castillo with a single to center field. Then, after ARIANNA VIDALES reached on a fielder's choice out at the plate, Morris hit a two-RBI single to right field. GABI LOPEZ followed with a groundout to shortstop, scoring Vidales for the 5-4 lead.
The Hilltoppers added two more runs in the fourth inning, loading the bases with two outs and scoring ALEXIS MASSIE and Morris on a fielding error.
KYLEN PADGETT (W, 1-0) replaced Currie in the pitcher's circle in the middle of the second inning and delivered a solid 4.2 innings, striking out two and limiting Augustana to two hits, and a single earned run on a solo blast by Kenndey Buckman in the fifth inning.
Rena Toomey replaced Padgett with two outs and bases loaded after three consecutive walks in the sixth inning and escaped unscathed. Toomey allowed just one hit in the seventh, picking up the save.
St. Edward's scored seven runs on 11 hits and were aggressive on base paths with five stolen bases. Morris was 3-for-3 with two RBIs, two stolen bases, and a run scored. Eight other Hilltoppers had one hit each.
"Our pitching staff worked as a solid unit in the first game. KYLEN PADGETT and RENNA TOOMEY both closed out the game for us," Glasgow says. "We utilized our speed on the bases to help secure seven runs against a tough Augustana pitching staff."
St. Edward's 5, Cal Polly Humboldt 1
MCKENNA LEAMON (W, 1-1) pitched a complete game and struck out five hitters, while Morris delivered another two-RBI game to lead St. Edward's to a 5-1 win over Humboldt.
"MEGAN MORRIS continued her hot hitting throughout the day and helped guide the offense to another win in game two," Glasgow says. "McKenna threw a fantastic seven innings to finish the day off."
Leamon set the tone, retiring the side in order through the first two innings with two strikeouts in the first inning. St. Edward's opened the second inning with consecutive outs, but Vidales followed with a single down the right-field line, stole second, and was driven in by Morris's RBI single through the left side.
Humboldt tied the game in the third inning on an RBI triple from Harris after Beach hit a two-out double to center field.
St. Edward's exploded for four runs in the fifth inning. Vidales led off with an infield single and stole second and third, setting up Morris's RBI single up the middle. GABI LOPEZ followed with an RBI double. Two outs and a hit batter later, YVONNE CASTILLO hit a two-RBI double to left center.
Morris finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Vidales hit 2-for-3 with two runs scored, Castillo had a double and two RBIs, and Hutzler and Lopez each had a hit, with the latter driving in one run and scoring another.
St. Edward's improves to 3-1. The Hilltoppers will remain in Conroe, Texas, to face Arkansas Tech on Sunday at 1:15 p.m.
